UN Secretary-General Welcomes Positive Developments in Breakaway Abkhazia

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a report on November 3 welcoming some positive developments in the situation in Georgia?s breakaway province of Abkhazia.

In his latest report to the Security Council, Annan said the presence of both the Georgian and Abkhaz sides in a UN-chaired brainstorming session in July showed they had made a step forward this year.

He also said the core political issue – the future status of Abkhazia within the State of Georgia – had not been tackled yet in any meaningful way. He urged both sides, especially the Abkhaz side, to start discussing the central issues.

The UN Secretary-General added the security of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) staff also remained of serious concern.